Breakdown of Sve što rodbina želi jest da na godišnjici svi budemo zdravi, mirni i zajedno.
Questions & Answers about Sve što rodbina želi jest da na godišnjici svi budemo zdravi, mirni i zajedno.
Why does the sentence start with Sve što?
Sve što is a very common Croatian pattern meaning all that or everything that.
- sve = everything / all
- što = that / what, introducing a relative clause
So Sve što rodbina želi means all that the relatives want.
This is similar to English structures like:
- All that the family wants is...
- Everything the relatives want is...
Why is it rodbina želi and not rodbina žele?
Because rodbina is grammatically singular, even though it refers to many people.
It is a collective noun meaning relatives / extended family / kin. Croatian treats it as singular, so the verb must also be singular:
- rodbina želi = the relatives want
This is a bit like English the family wants when we treat family as one group.
What exactly does rodbina mean? Is it the same as family?
Not exactly.
Rodbina usually means relatives, especially the wider family network: aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and so on. It is broader and a bit less intimate than immediate family.
So:
- obitelj = family, often the close family unit
- rodbina = relatives / extended family
In this sentence, rodbina suggests the wider family group.
Why does the sentence use jest instead of je?
Jest is the full, stressed form of je.
Both can mean is, but:
- je is the usual short everyday form
- jest sounds more formal, careful, or slightly emphatic
So:
- Sve što rodbina želi je da...
- Sve što rodbina želi jest da...
Both are possible, but jest feels a bit more formal or literary here.
Why is there da after jest?
Here da introduces a clause that expresses what is wanted.
Croatian often uses da + finite verb where English might use:
- that...
- for us to...
- or sometimes an infinitive
So jest da... here means something like:
- is that...
- is for us to...
In this sentence, the wanted thing is a whole clause: that we all be healthy, calm, and together at the anniversary.
Why is it budemo, not smo?
After da, Croatian often uses budem, budeš, bude, budemo... when talking about a desired, expected, or future-oriented state.
So:
- da budemo zdravi = that we be healthy / that we are healthy in the hoped-for situation
Using smo here would not sound natural in standard Croatian for this meaning. Budemo fits the idea of a wish or desired situation at the time of the anniversary.
So the pattern is:
- želim da budemo... = I want us to be...
- žele da budemo... = they want us to be...
What case is na godišnjici, and why?
Na godišnjici is in the locative singular.
- base form: godišnjica = anniversary
- after na in the sense of at/on an event, Croatian uses the locative
- so: na godišnjici = at the anniversary / at the anniversary celebration
The ending -i shows the locative singular of this feminine noun.
Also, na is natural here because Croatian often uses na with events and gatherings:
- na sastanku = at the meeting
- na svadbi = at the wedding
- na godišnjici = at the anniversary
Why do we have both sve and svi in the same sentence?
Because they are different words with different jobs.
- sve = everything / all that
- svi = everyone / all
So:
- Sve što rodbina želi = all that the relatives want
- da svi budemo... = that we all be...
They look similar, but they are not repeating the same meaning.
Why are the adjectives zdravi and mirni in the masculine plural?
They agree with svi, which refers to all of us / everyone.
In Croatian, when a group is mixed or unspecified, the masculine plural is the default form. That is why we get:
- svi budemo zdravi, mirni...
If the whole group were known to be female, you could get feminine plural forms instead:
- sve budemo zdrave, mirne...
But with a general mixed group, masculine plural is normal.
Why is zajedno not changed like zdravi and mirni?
Because zajedno is an adverb, not an adjective.
- zdravi and mirni are adjectives, so they agree with the subject
- zajedno means together, and adverbs do not change for gender, number, or case
So:
- zdravi = healthy
- mirni = calm / peaceful
- zajedno = together
That is why zajedno stays the same.
Could the word order be different?
Yes. Croatian word order is fairly flexible.
For example, you could also say:
- Sve što rodbina želi je da svi na godišnjici budemo zdravi, mirni i zajedno.
That would still be natural.
The original order:
- ...da na godišnjici svi budemo...
slightly brings the anniversary occasion forward. Croatian often moves elements around to shift emphasis, while the meaning stays basically the same.
Why is there no comma before da?
Because da budemo zdravi, mirni i zajedno is a tightly connected content clause completing the meaning of the sentence.
Croatian normally does not use a comma before da in clauses like:
- Mislim da... = I think that...
- Želim da... = I want that...
- Važno je da... = It is important that...
This sentence follows the same pattern:
- Sve što rodbina želi jest da...
So no comma is needed.
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